Going to Extremes

“Protecting children from the risk of radicalisation should be seen as part of schools’ and childcare providers’ wider safeguarding duties, and is similar in nature to protecting children from other harms. Schools can build pupils’ resilience to radicalisation by providing a safe environment for debating controversial issues and helping them to understand how they can influence and participate in decision-making.”

– Department for Education

After watching the audience will:-

Have a raised awareness of how and why young people may become radicalised

Have a raised awareness of the processes involved in radicalisation

Have a more developed resilience to extremist narratives

Understand the importance of challenging radical/extremist narratives and discussing them openly

Know where to go for help and advice

Going to Extremes was developed out of a growing need kick-start conversations and build resilience around extremism and radicalisation.

Exploring far-right political as well as Islamist-inspired extremism, the play looks at what happened to three young people, who each had their own vulnerabilities, that found themselves targeted by individuals or groups that wanted to use them for their own agenda. Danny, a young man who was angry that his parents had separated, found himself getting involved with a far-right group. Ayesha, a young girl who wanted to be a nurse, was targeted online by a group that wanted her to go out to Syria to help Isis and Kamal, a young man who had issues fitting in with his community, found himself out in the desert training to fight a holy war. Using simple story-telling techniques, their stories are played out and examined in an attempt to understand how and why they were targeted and how young people can prevent this sort of thing happening in the first place by encouraging an open dialogue and conversation about the issues as well as empathy, understanding and respect for others’ views and beliefs.

“A powerful and thought provoking performance that has been developed to compliment the Prevent strategy. A must see for young people and adults that work with them!”